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Thursday, October 26, 2017

With Samhain approaching I decided to write about the Dearg Due, the closest to a classic vampire that can be found in Irish folklore. Almost immediately though I ran into a slight problem, in that I can't find any references to this being in actual books on folklore. The only sources in which I could find the Dearg Due mentioned were more modern works and mostly ones that focused on vampires specifically. This has left me a bit skeptical of the Dearg Due's true origins, but nonetheless I'll relate the story here. It is the time of year for ghost stories after all.

First a bit about the name. Many sources will explain this name as meaning 'red blood sucker' but I think this unlikely. Dearg does indeed mean red, but Due is a more difficult word to interpret. In Old Irish the name may mean 'red owing' or 'red place', but I think it's more likely the name comes from modern Irish 'Dearg Dú'* which could be read as 'red evil' or 'red darkness'. As far as I can tell the words blood and sucker aren't involved.

So, the story then. As it goes around the internet and in the vampire books: Long ago in Ireland there lived a beautiful maiden, the daughter of a rich and greedy father. Many men came from across the land to try to win her hand in marriage but the girl had fallen in love with a local peasant and refused all others. Her father wouldn't allow this and forced her into a loveless marriage with an older man who was terribly cruel to her. Eventually, when she realized her true love wasn't going to rescue her, the girl killed herself. Before dying the girl renounced all that was good in the world, cursed God and those who had made her suffer in life, and swore she would get her revenge. And so it was that after she was buried she rose again from her grave as the Dearg Due; some say that she hunts and kills those who are guilty of hurting others, while others say she seeks out the innocent, especially children and young men to be her victims.

Like traditional Western European vampires the Dearg Due is a human being who died and was buried, and rose from the dead to torment the living. Like those other vampires she roams the night seeking to steal the life force from the living. Unlike other vampires the Dearg Due is not a type of being but a specific individual, and it is said her grave still exists in county Waterford. She only rises from her grave once a year on the anniversary of her death and she can be held in check if stones are kept piled on her grave.

It's hard to pin down how old these stories are or whether they are truly rooted in older mythology or represent a blending of newer thoughts. Certainly they lack the overt fairy folklore we see in the stories of beings like the Baobhan Sithe of Scotland which are also vampiric in nature, or even the more bloodsucking types of Leannán Sidhe found across Celtic speaking countries. But the stories of the Dearg Due are interesting and at the least represent an evolution in folklore as different cultural influences came into play.

Athirne Ailgessach son ofFerchertne, he was most inhospitable in all of Ireland. He went to Mider of Brí Léith co tuc cranes* of pettiness and inhospitality from him for his house that is stinginess and grudgingness. No man of Ireland visitsa his house looking for hospitality. "Do not come. Do not come" said the first crane. "Go out!" said his companion. "Beyond the house, beyond the house" said the third crane. Every man of Ireland who saw them would not succeed in battle that day. He did not eat where there were people. He went once and a prepared pig with him and a skin of mead to eat his fill alone. And he settled his mouth on the pig and the skin of mead. He saw a man coming towards him. He wanted to be alone when he was touching the pig and the skin. "What name is on you?" said Athirni. "Nothing famous is on me" he said "that is Sethor Ethor Othor Sele Dele Dreng Gerce Mec Gerce Ger Gér Dír Dír is my name." He [Athirni] didn't take [back] the pig. And he was unable to compose a satire. It is likely someone of God had come to carry away the pig. He was not ungenerous from that hour.*Cor is a word for a bird that can be a heron, crane or occasionally stork.

Friday, October 20, 2017

This story is a bridge between the 6th book in the Between the Worlds series and the forthcoming 7th book. It's main purpose is to offer some additional backstory for a few characters as well as clarify some events that occur between the two books.
The story runs at 7,370 words.

‘Birth’ – A Between the Worlds Short Story

5
Weeks Before Midsummer

Allie
shifted restlessly where she was reclining on her living room couch as Lauren,
her midwife, and Brynneth, a medic in the Elven Guard who was also her friend,
stood over her and discussed her current condition and the request she’d just
made. Or rather the thing she’d just spent five minutes trying to convince them
to agree to. Although she knew they weren't doing it on purpose she was feeling
a bit like a child being talked about by adults, and to calm herself she rested
one hand on the rounded bulge of her abdomen. Inside, warm and safe, her son
was sleeping and she felt a small surge of pride that she'd become good enough
with her empathy to distinguish peaceful sleeping from any other state. Still
she felt a surge of longing for her two bondmates, Bleidd and Jess, who were
currently wrapping up their last assignment in the Fairy Holding that adjoined
the town. She forced herself to fix her eyes on the two people standing over
her and ignore the pull of desire that filled her.

The
two healers were a study in opposites. Brynneth was tall, lean, and
dark-haired, his elven heritage plain even without the uniform of the Elven
Guard that he was wearing, the badge flashing at his waist when he moved. He
radiated a serenity that Allie envied, his ageless features calm even as he
argued his point. Beside him Lauren Perez was all too plainly human, short and
plump, her black hair liberally streaked with grey and her face just as
liberally lined with wrinkles. She had often joked that she had earned each
grey hair and each wrinkle through her work and Allie more than half believed
her at this point. The last several months had become a crash course in mixed
species pregnancies for Allie and she had slowly learned how complicated and
often dangerous it really was for humans and the Fey to produce children
together. For Lauren to specialize in this Allie had realized she must have
seen a lot of tragedy over the decades she’d been working.

Finally
Lauren turned and looked down at her, her expression tired but kind. “Well, I
still think the clinic is a better idea given the risk of complications. But I
agree that so far things have looked good and the baby’s size and position
isn’t indicating any need for worry at this point, although we have a ways to
go. And since Brynneth will be here and we can get you to the clinic by
ambulance in 20 minutes if there’s an emergency I’m willing to agree to try
this as a home birth. Try it, Allie,” Lauren said, holding up a finger in a
warning gesture, “But I’m letting you know now that at the first sign of
anything – anything – problematic I will call that ambulance. Okay?”

Allie
smiled, silently thanking Brynneth’s skills with persuasion which had surely
convinced Lauren in the end, since Allie’s own efforts hadn’t seemed to have
much effect. That was no mean feat as Lauren dealt with the Fey often enough
that she was one of the few humans Allie had met who seemed exempt to the
effect they normally seemed to have on non-Fey. She nodded, “That seems fair.”

Brynneth
nodded as well, as always looking serious, “I have more than enough leave time
accrued to use some when the time comes which will ensure that I am free to be
here.”

“Do
you want to stay here?” Allie blurted out, then flushed as both the midwife and
healer looked at her in surprise. “I mean you’re welcome to stay here at the
house if you’d like to, rather than the Outpost.”

Brynneth
looked thoughtful for a moment, pursing his lips slightly. “That is not a bad
idea. And I am not averse to spending some time with Jessilaen. I have missed
him these past few weeks, although doubtless not as much as you have.”

He
smiled kindly at her when he said it and Allie struggled to keep her expression
friendly, forcing herself to smile back, but inside she winced. You have no idea she thought to herself
feeling her craving for her bondmates’ presence rising up, insistently
reminding her of her very real, tangible need for them. Not for the first time
she cursed Bleidd’s decision to re-join the Elven Guard even though the
increased income had made a significant difference for them all. The money has meant a lot more than I
thought it would, and I can’t deny
how much happier he’s been she thought to herself, watching as Lauren began
gathering her medical equipment up. It
obviously means a lot to him to be back in the Guard, to be financially well
off. Hel it’s the first time in my life I haven’t had to worry about money
constantly, about how things will be paid for. Maybe it’s all his way to try to
prove he deserves this baby or is worthy of the way his life is now, I don’t
know…but I do like seeing him so
happy. I just wish he was happy and they were here all the time.

“I’ll
stop by in a week and check on you,” Lauren said, derailing Allie’s
introspective train of thought, as she finished putting her equipment away.

“As
will I,” Brynneth agreed, stepping back slightly as Lauren, her bag now packed
and in hand, moved to Allie’s side.

“Don’t
get up Allie,” Lauren said, patting her shoulder absently, her grip
surprisingly firm, “I’ll see myself out. Remember what I said about drinking
more water, and call me if you have any questions before our next appointment.”

With
a slight wave at the elf and half-elf Lauren turned and left, already pulling
her cell phone out to check her messages. Allie appreciated that she didn’t let
the phone distract her during appointments, but she also knew that Lauren had a
reputation as one of the best midwives for mixed-species cases and she was always
busy. She didn’t doubt the other woman probably had a dozen messages waiting
for her.

Brynneth
followed her to the doorway, watching as she left, so subtly that Allie doubted
the midwife even noticed him.

It
had been sheer luck that Allie had been able to get onto her client list at all;
she’d had no idea how in demand Lauren was when she’d randomly picked her name
out of the directory listing. And it had also been luck that she had managed
to call at a time when Lauren had a slight lull in her workload and could take
on someone new. Only later, when she’d belatedly checked the woman’s
qualifications, had she realized that Lauren was one of the most well-known and
highly regarded midwives for people of mixed backgrounds in the area. I still can’t even imagine what she
charges Allie thought resisting the urge to frown. Jess and Bleidd had paid
Lauren up front and much to Allie’s ongoing annoyance they’d gotten Lauren to
swear not to tell Allie the price. That hadn’t stopped her from spending the
last six months trying to find out, but much to her consternation and Bleidd’s
amusement she hadn’t been able to. If
only I’d realized two husbands would mean constantly being conspired against,
Allie thought then smiled to herself who
am I kidding I’d have done it anyway.

“You
seem to be in a better mood today,” Brynneth said, returning to Allie’s side
now that Lauren was gone.

She
sighed, “I’m glad Jessilaen and Bleidd will be back soon.”

Bryn
looked out the window, his expression pensive. “It is hard on you when they are
gone, is it not?”

Allie
looked away, unsure what to say, and before the silence could get awkward
Brynneth knelt down by her feet and reached out towards her bad ankle. She
tensed anticipating the touch, her gaze going to his hand, and he hesitated,
his eyes finding her face. “Allie, how much pain are you in?”

“It’s
not so bad,” Allie said, shifting uncomfortably and hoping that she wasn’t
edging into a lie. She hedged, “It’s been worse. I’ve just been on my feet too much lately.”

Brynneth
gently moved her pant leg up to examine her ankle, his fingers probing the
swelling and tenderness around the joint, which had been badly shattered the
year before. Allie bit her lip to keep from blurting out her gratitude that
he’d waited to ask about her leg until Lauren was gone. She knew it was silly
to even care about it but some part of her didn’t like admitting to anyone,
except Brynneth who could tell anyway, how much the pregnancy was exacerbating
the problems she had with her old injury. Even Jess and Bleidd didn’t know how
much more pain she was in constantly now or that she’d stumbled several times
when she’d started to lose her footing while walking. It scared her to feel so
helpless, and she was afraid if she told them they’d feel guilty because they
weren’t there with her. After a moment Brynneth began tracing runes over her
foot and leg and then closed his eyes, focusing as he cast a healing spell.

Well crap she thought,
fighting tears as her emotions predictably overwhelmed her while the magic
flowed around her so it’s bad enough at this
point that he’s using formal spells not just channeled energy. Deep down
Allie could feel the fear bubbling up that she was going to end up crippled in
truth, unable to walk at all on her left ankle. It was a fear that had haunted
her since she’d been injured and made her push to hide her limp and her pain as
much as possible, but had grown exponentially as the later stages of the
pregnancy had seriously aggravated the injury. Now with her balance and center
of gravity changed and her weight up more than 30 pounds her ankle was in full
rebellion, and even pulling energy from her bondmates wasn’t enough to mitigate
it. With them gone the last few weeks she was keenly feeling the effects,
despite projecting into Jess’s mind to pull energy from them when they were intimate.

When
Brynneth finally opened his eyes she could see the worry on his face as much as
she could feel it with her empathy, so she braced herself, but when he spoke
his words took her by surprise. “How has your appetite been lately?”

“My
appetite?” she repeated, her mind going blank. He nodded and after a moment she
managed a reply, “Ummm. Good. Fine I think.”

“You
haven’t had any further nausea or dizziness?”

“Oh,”
she said, realizing what he was getting at. “No, not for months now. Most things
healthwise seem to have smoothed out.”

He
made a soft, thoughtful noise, “Interesting. I was talking to my cousin’s son
yesterday, who is here visiting from another Holding. He is also a healer, and
was telling me about a case he had a few years ago, a young man of mixed
ancestry – half elven and half human like yourself – who was also poisoned with
iron. In his case it was accidental but like you he very nearly died of it. I
believe from what Marreliyn was saying that he was exposed to a much lower amount
than you were. It took him more than a year to recover, and that with regular
healing.”

Allie
looked down, smoothing her shirt over her stomach as she processed what he was
saying. She knew of course why she’d healed faster and without too much extra
help from Brynneth, but she wasn’t sure how much Brynneth knew and it made her
uneasy. “I suppose I’m atypical then even for this.”

“I
do not think you are actually,” Brynneth said, taking her hand and squeezing
it. “I suspect you are entirely typical.”

She
winced, knowing he was referencing her ability as a Bahvanshee to absorb her
bondmates emotions and empower herself with them, which was the key to her
healing ability. Before she could speak he was going on though, “It’s alright
Allie, I did not mean to bring up anything that might upset you. I only wanted
you to know that you are not alone in what you endured when you were poisoned
and that, although your recovery rate may be faster, I do now have something to
model it on.”

She
smiled tentatively at him, relaxing slightly. “Well that is a good thing I
guess.”

“I
believe so,” he agreed smiling and squeezing her hand again before releasing it.
“I will talk to Zarethyn about taking my leave time near to midsummer. Until
then, and until Jessilaen and Bleidd return – perhaps even after they return –
it would be best if you tried to rest your leg as much as possible. Sit as
often as you can and elevate your ankle as much as you are able.”

She
bit back the immediate retort that wanted to flow from her lips, that her job
at the bookstore didn’t allow much sitting, and instead nodded meekly. She
doubted she’d be able to sit much more than she already was, but she could at
least agree to try and the spectre of permanently worsening her ankle injury
still haunted her. From the look Brynneth gave he she doubted he was fooled by
her seeming compliance, but he only sighed and stood slowly. Patting her knee
he said, “I shall leave you to get some rest then and will see you next week.”

Allie
nodded again, knowing that he didn’t expect more of a response and would be
annoyed with her if she tried to stand to walk him out after he’d just worked
on her ankle. Instead she reached for a nearby paperback, listening to his
footsteps retreating down the hall and then the distinct sound of the front
door closing. A moment later her fairy hound, Luath, who had been banished to
the kitchen during the examination, appeared trotting cheerfully over to Allie.
The hound who was just over a year old now was a large and well grown animal
but still had the energy of a puppy.

Luath
nudged Allie’s shoulder with her muzzle then licked her cheek, eliciting a
giggle from the prone woman, before the hound settled down on the floor,
stretching out along the length of the couch next to Allie. Allie stopped
reading for a moment to reach down and pet Luath, delighting in the softness of
the hound’s fur and the happy rhythm of her tail against the hardwood floor.
“Well puppy,” Allie said relaxing back into the cushions, “Everything’s looking
good so far. Now it’s just you and me until Jason gets home from work. I think
an exciting afternoon of reading is in my future.”

Luath’s
tail thumped against the floor again, then she yawned and laid her head down on
her paws, closing her eyes. Allie sighed, glad for the hound’s company but
still missing her spouses, then resolutely focused her attention back to her
book.

4
Weeks Before Midsummer

Allie
turned at the sound of the door opening, startled. Hannah, Jason, and Shawn
were all at work and she was alone in the house, slowly working her way down
the hall with a broom, Luath anxiously pacing around her. Her first thought was
that it was strange that the fairy hound hadn’t barked and then the door was
swinging open and Bleidd and Jess were stepping in. The two stood side by side
for a moment, both in the green tunic and black cargo pants that were the
uniform of the Elven Guard but otherwise very different. Jess’s light blond
hair was pulled back in the braid of the Guard with military precision,
everything about him projecting solidness and professionalism. Next to him,
taller by slightly more than half a foot, Bleidd’s black hair was in the same
braid just as precise yet it managed to look like it was moments from breaking
free, and despite the uniform and badge Bleidd still managed to have the air of
someone up to something questionable.

As
the two stepped into the house Luath gave a pleased yip, but stayed where she
was near Allie. Allie, for her part, dropped the broom which hit the floor with
a thump and then hobbled as quickly as she could manage over to her two lovers.
“You’re back!”

They
both smiled at her, their feelings swirling around her and blending with her
own happiness. She hadn’t expected them for another week at least, and felt a
wave of relief and joy seeing them now. Jess’s eyes sparkled in delight as they
walked down the hall to meet her, “We decided to surprise you rather than tell
you when we were sent back early.”

“I
am so glad you’re back!” Allie said, shamelessly pulling both elves into a
tight embrace and burying her head against the wall of their torsos. Their arms
came up around her back, and she relaxed into the safety of their presence,
smiling as they each slipped their free hand forward to stroke the hard bulge
of her stomach. In response their son kicked strongly, the motion rippling
across her abdomen and she laughed out loud, “I guess he missed you guys too.”

“I
sincerely hope he doesn’t decide that kicking is an appropriate greeting after
he is born,” Bleidd quipped, and she drank in his happiness until she felt
giddy.

“We
are glad to be back as well my heart,” Jess said, his tone serious, pressing
his hand firmly against the baby’s movement.

“I
thought you weren’t supposed to be home for another week? Not that I’m not
thrilled,” Allie said, still smiling widely.

“Indeed,”
Jess said, pulling her a bit closer, “However Brynneth talked to Zarethyn and
suggested that it would be better if we returned sooner rather than later.
Things were arranged.”

“We
are lucky Brynneth has as much influence with the Captain as he does,” Bleidd
said dryly, but Allie could sense that he was pleased by this turn of events
however it had happened.

She
closed her eyes, not sure how she felt about it, however pragmatically the two
elves she had married might view things. It didn’t seem right somehow to let
Brynneth use his influence to pull strings for her, and she was cynical enough
to realize that he must have done this so that she would be able to better heal
herself, after seeing how her ankle was doing last week. She didn’t like that
thought at all. And yet she couldn’t deny how thrilled she was to have them both
back with her.

When
she didn’t say anything Bleidd slid his hand off her back and up to stroke her
hair, his voice losing its cocky edge, “Is everything alright Allie?”

“Sure,”
she said, her voice flat in her own ears.

“My heart,” Jess said into her mind, “What is it? What is wrong?”

She
closed her eyes tighter clinging to them and responded in kind. “Nothing is wrong. I’m just tired, and tired of feeling like a beached whale most of the
time. Whoever said pregnancy was a great experience was clearly delusional.”

Bleidd
laughed aloud, still stroking her hair gently. “I would never compare you with a whale. And take heart babe only
another month and then it will be over and you trade physical discomfort for
sleepless nights and constant crying.”

“I doubt the baby will cry all the time,”
Allie said, unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes at him as she
straightened up a bit to meet both their worried gazes.

“I meant you, actually,” Bleidd shot
back, smirking. She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed again. Jess
tightened his grip on her for a moment then leaned forward and kissed her
deeply, giving her a moment where she could let herself fall into his feelings
and the sensation. Even in that brief moment she drank in the feeling and felt
her own energy strengthening, the pain she was feeling certainly not
evaporating but noticeably lessening. Then he was stepping back, Bleidd a step
behind, and she was being swept down the hallway with the two of them towards
the kitchen. She struggled to keep up, feeling her ankle complaining and her
back tensing. She managed to make it all the way to the kitchen keeping pace
with them, but as soon as they cleared the doorway she headed for the table and
sat down, ignoring Jess’s worried look.

“Have
you eaten lunch yet?” he asked, going to the refrigerator. Luath trotted over
to the rag rug in front of the sink and laid down with a contented whuffing noise.

“Coffee,
cars, central heating,” he agreed with a sigh, joining her at the table and
leaning over to slide an arm across her shoulder, predictably tactile after
weeks of separation.

Jess
shot him an amused look even as he began pan-frying chicken cutlets at the
stove. He said, “He has mentioned the coffee almost daily this last week.”

“Well
that’s what you get for abandoning me to go running off to join the Guard,”
Allie said, the joke coming out more sharply than she’d intended.

Jess
turned and busied himself at the stove as Bleidd stiffened next to her. “You
know that isn’t…that was never my intention.”

“I
meant that as a joke,” Allie said, the sudden sharp tension in the room making
her head swim. “Even if it is true in a way. I know you didn’t abandon me
exactly, but you did choose to rejoin the Guard knowing it would mean these
assignments. I’m never going to like that.”

“Never
going to like that I rejoined the Guard or that I go out on assignments now?”
he asked leaning his head on her shoulder.

Jess
was watching the conversation play out surreptitiously over his shoulder, but
had wisely chosen to stay out of it this time. Allie appreciated that since she
had grown tired over the last few months of Jess’s attempts to advocate with
her on Bleidd’s behalf. Maybe it’s time
we have this out she thought to herself, reaching up to stroke his cheek.
“I am glad that you are so much happier. And I am very glad that you are both home now and will be home until after the baby is born. And believe it or not Bleidd I am glad
that being in the Guard hasn’t changed you, that so far you are still the same
person I’ve always known you to be. ”

At
the stove Jess snorted loudly, but still didn’t say anything. Allie took a deep
breath then went on, “But it is…enormously hard for me to have you both gone.
And you knew before you chose to do this that it was going to be hard for me
and you did it anyway. And I think part of me is still angry with you about
that, for choosing your own happiness over my…needs. But I also think maybe I’m
being selfish feeling that way, so I’m kind of torn on the whole subject. I’m
mad at you for leaving but I’m also mad at me for needing you to be here.”

He
sighed, his breathe shushing out across her skin, then moved quickly, sliding
his arms around her shoulders and under her thighs and smoothly pulling her
into his lap. She let out an indignant squeak, her arms flying up around his
neck reflexively. He held her, cradling her body against his torso, his face
inches from hers, his green eyes locked with her blue ones. “I did not do this to choose my happiness
over yours Allie,” he thought to her seriously, his sadness wrapping around
her, “I did know that it would mean us,
Jess and I both, being separated from you for short periods of time. Short. But
I knew you could pull energy from the two of us when we are together even if
you are not with us. I thought that would be enough while we were away, and you
know well enough that I don’t hesitate to have my way with Jess at every
opportunity while we are gone.”

She
smiled at that even as Jess turned from stove smiling fondly and said, “I might
disagree about who is having whose way with who, but we can discuss that later,”
before turning back to his cooking.

Bleidd
leaned forward and kissed her, his lips brushing against hers like a promise. “I didn’t anticipate the situation being as
complicated for you as it is. I am sorry for that. I also had thought, hoped,
that we would not be sent out as often or for as long into the Holding but
would remain here most of the time. But I will not regret knowing that my honor
has been fully redeemed, that this child will have fathers he can be proud of
and a sure path to follow in the Guard if he wants it. Nor can I regret the
security my income gives you.”

“You know I don’t agree with the elven idea
that your money belongs to me just because you’re my husband,” she said,
but it was a reflexive reply, deep down she was wondering now how much of his
choice had to do with trying to match Jess in some way with her or in the eyes
of a child that hadn’t even been born yet. Oh
Bleidd she thought careful to shield them both out of her mind I wish you could see that you aren’t
competing with anyone for me, and I can’t imagine that this baby would have
loved you less if you were still dispatching taxis then if you’re gone for
weeks at a time with the Guard…

“Nonetheless,”
he whispered aloud, the words nearly against her lips, “The money is yours,
ours, and it puts us in a much stronger position. I hated seeing you always
worrying about bills. Now you have no need to worry, and whether you like it or
not my income and Jess’s belong to you for as long as we are wed. By the Law.
And you can’t try to argue with me about helping you or being too generous,
because it’s your money by the Law.”

“You
are devious,” Allie said, genuinely impressed that he’d tricked her so thoroughly
and she hadn’t figured it out on her own. She had been aware of course that
their pooled income was considerably higher than hers had been alone, and what
Bleidd earned as an adept mage in the Guard made both her income and Jess’s
look like pocket change. But she had just assumed that sharing their resources
was what married couples – or in this cases trios – did. And since they
traveled sometimes and she had the most familiarity with the human world and
paying bills it had only seemed logical for her to handle all the finances; she
had seen it as a logical division of duties not as her traditional role in an
elven household. Or considered that they believed the money was hers…

He
grinned from ear to ear and his pleasure at this success rolled over her, until
she decided she needed to take him down a notch. Or at least try to. “Does this
mean I should be giving you a nice little allowance? Some money to play with
since you’re such a good husband?”

Bleidd
blinked slowly, momentarily speechless. At the stove, now cooking mixed
vegetables in the fry pan, Jess burst out laughing. Allie giggled, drinking in
the lighter emotional atmosphere and enjoying it. Bleidd finally recovered,
arching an eyebrow at her, “Should I be filling out requisition requests when
I’d like to buy something?” He slid his hand up her arm, caressing across her
collarbone, “Or just ask really nicely when I’d like a treat?”

“Don’t
blame me,” he said innocently, “I’m just trying to find out how this allowance
of yours is going to work.”

“You
know I view it as our collective money, not my personal money,” she said,
resisting the urge to give in to his teasing, even though she'd started it. She shifted slightly in his arms
as her back cramped painfully, trying to ignore it.

“You’re
no fun,” he said, tracing his finger up from her throat to her chin.

“Also,”
Allie said, biting at his finger when it came close to her mouth. “Getting back
to who is having their way with who - for the record, I am clearly the one
having my way with both of you.”

Bleidd
kissed her again then said, “Exactly as I like it.”

Jess
joined them at the table, setting a communal plate of food down and handing out
silverware. Allie felt herself fully relaxing for the first time in a long time,
still sitting in Bleidd’s lap. This is
good she thought. Everything is
always better when we are all together.

Birth

Allie
opened her eyes to darkness, stretched then winced as her back complained rapidly followed by her hips. She tried to close her eyes and force herself
back to sleep but it was quickly apparent that it was a lost cause. Next to her
Bleidd and Jess slept deeply, their even breathing the only sound in the quiet
room. Trying not to wake them Allie slid to the edge of the bed and carefully
levered herself up, hating the awkwardness of late pregnancy that made the
simple movement so difficult.

The
sky outside the window was a flat black and a glance at the clock showed it was
only just past midnight. She repressed a sigh, shifting again as her back
cramped. She’d thought she’d gotten used to the myriad miseries of pregnancy
but after trying to actually take Brynneth’s advice and sit most of the day
before she’d found herself suffering from muscle cramps in her back and sides
all evening. Her bondmates had tried to help ease things but she’d finally just
decided to suffer in silence since her discomfort was upsetting them and she
didn’t want to ruin their time together. They’d only been home for a few days
and she was still reveling in their presence, she didn’t want anything to
detract from that. And now she
thought rubbing one gritty eye with her hand I can’t even sleep. Ugh. Well if laying down isn’t going to help then I
may as well get up. I can take Luath for a walk. Maybe moving around will do
the trick.

The
fairy hound had been oddly clingy after they’d retired to bed until Allie had
finally, reluctantly, banished her to the hallway to get some peace. As soon as
she opened the door she found the hound lying across the threshold; Luath
looked up immediately, whining slightly, her black eyes searching Allie’s face.

“Come
on puppy lets go for a walk,” Allie whispered. The hound got up at the words
and moved so Allie could get out of the room but she didn’t lope ahead as she
usually did when the word ‘walk’ was mentioned, instead staying close to Allie.
The half-elf walked carefully, one hand on the wall, feeling off balance and
grumpy. Going down the stairs she kept one hand on the wall and the other on
Luath’s back, her bad ankle a sharp pain with each step and her back still
cramping off and on as she went. She felt utterly miserable, and reconsidered
the idea of a walk. Maybe I could get a
fire going instead and sit in the living room and read Allie thought. Sitting seems like a much better plan than a
long walk, or even a short one. And a fire in the fireplace would be nice, even
this time of year.

Making
up her mind she reached the bottom of the stairs and hobbled across to the entrance
to the living room, but on the threshold she lost her balance, slipping and
stumbling gracelessly to the floor. Luath yipped in concern, nudging the fallen
woman in the side with her nose. Flushing in embarrassment Allie braced her
hands on the floor and pushed up trying to get back to her feet. Halfway up she
felt a gush of warmth and wetness on her legs, soaking her clothes from the waist down, and Luath yipped again, then
whimpered. She staggered to her feet, her mind trying to process what had just
happened. There was a low click as a door opened a few feet away.

“Allie?
Are you okay?” Hannah asked, poking her head out from her room, midway down the
hall.

“Ahhh,”
Allie mumbled, feeling panic starting to rise as the full implications hit her.
“I think my water just broke.”

“It’s
too early, it’s too soon. I’m not due for weeks yet,” Allie said, thinking she
might cry, and of course almost immediately she had both Bleidd and Jess’s
sleepy voices in her head, worried, asking her what was wrong.

“How
many weeks are you now?” Hannah asked, frowning. She reached Allie’s side and
reached out, taking her wrist and pressing her fingers over the pulse point to take
Allie’s vital signs. Even in the middle of the situation, with another cramp –
no Allie realized another contraction - rippling through her sides she was
still amused by the way Hannah immediately went into nurse mode without even
realizing it.

“Um,
a little more than 36 weeks,” Allie said, the sound of two sets of feet on the
stairs heralding Bleidd and Jess’s arrival.

“That’s
fine honey, that’s not too early,” Hannah reassured her. “36 weeks is
considered full term even in mixed species births.”

As
Bleidd and Jess hit the bottom of the stairs and turned, getting tangled up in
each other as they tried to reach her, she grabbed Hannah’s hand, “Have you
ever delivered a baby before?”

“Relax
Allie, take a deep breath,” Hannah said, her voice calm and reassuring. “This is
your first baby, you’re probably going to be in labor for awhile. But if it
comes down to it yes I have delivered a baby before, so don’t worry. You’re
just lucky I’m home tonight and tomorrow was my day off.”

“Honestly
I’m kind of just glad you’re home and Jason and Shawn aren’t. I’d never hear
the end of this from either of them.” The two women exchanged a smile, Allie
squeezing Hannah’s hand gratefully.

Bleidd
and Jess had joined them, Luath pressing against her legs and hips still
whining, and for a moment she was totally overwhelmed by everyone else’s
emotions. “Okay,” she said, shaking her head. “Jess please call Brynneth and
Lauren. Bleidd can you get Luath outside? Hannah, what should I do until they
get here?”

The
two men rushed off as quickly as they’d arrived, earning a wry look from Hannah
before she answered Allie. “Right. Let’s get you out of this wet tshirt first. How
far apart are the contractions?”

“I
don’t know,” Allie said, shivering slightly. “I didn’t even know I was having
any, I just thought my back was cramping. Like regular muscle cramps.”

Bleidd
reappeared and before he could more than open his mouth Hannah turned to him
and said, “Run up and get Allie something clean and dry to wear.”

He
disappeared again, dodging back up the stairs, and Allie smiled, “You’ll have
to forgive him, they’re both pretty nervous about this.”

“And
you aren’t?”

“I’m
still in shock that its actually happening.”

Jess
was there a minute later, and Hannah turned to him with a business-like air,
“Right, why don’t you take Allie into the shower and help her get washed off.
Just a quick wash. I’ll have Bleidd clean up the hallway and I’ll get things
ready just in case things do happen quickly.”

Jess
nodded, reaching out to take Allie’s arm, “Brynneth said he will be here within
20 minutes. Lauren is out on a call but I left a message for her.”

“See
Allie?” Hannah said. “20 minutes and the cavalry will be here.”

Allie
nodded, smiling weakly. She knew Hannah was right that this was probably going
to be a long process but her head was spinning by how quickly it all seemed to
be happening. Feeling overwhelmed and unprepared she let Jess lead her into the
downstairs bathroom, strip off her clothes, and get her quickly in and out of
the shower. He tried several times to ask her how she was doing but she could
only keep repeating that she was fine; in truth she was in a daze. She still
didn’t feel the expected painful contractions but just a steady cramping in her
back and sides.

They
emerged from the shower and Bleidd was standing there waiting with a dry
oversized t-shirt. She slipped it on after they’d toweled her off, not even
complaining at the way they were trying to do everything for her. Their fear
and concern was like a physical presence around her.

They
stepped back into the hallway, Bleidd on one side Jess on the other, and Allie
stopped abruptly. Jess spoke first, his voice worried, “What is it?”

She
didn’t answer him, instead looking for Hannah, “Wait a second please. Hannah?”

The
nurse popped into view almost immediately from the kitchen, “What is it?”

“I
feel weird,” Allie said, trying to focus on slowing her breathing.

Hannah
jogged over, frowning, “Weird how? What’s going on?”

“I
don’t know,” Allie said, feeling as if her body was betraying her. “Like, like
I need to lay down, like right now. Its…its like pressure. A lot of pressure.”

“Pressure
where?” Hannah said her voice sharp.

Allie
gestured down at her thighs, the feeling overwhelming now. She was already
trying to sit, only Bleidd and Jess on each side holding her up.

“Okay
let’s get you into the living room-“

“No,”
Allie said, her own voice firm. “No, I need to lay down now.”

Jess
and Bleidd’s panic was overwhelming but she couldn’t argue with what her body
was telling her. She had to lay down. Had to. Hannah stepped forward, reaching
out and wrapping her arms around Allie’s torso. “Hang on Allie, just a second.
One of you guys grab some towels quick. Good. Lay a couple down on the floor.
Okay, help me get her down.”

Allie
was barely aware of the towels beneath her as between the three of them the
nurse and the two elves got her laid down on the hallway floor. She felt her
knees pulling up towards her chest reflexively, Bleidd taking one hand, Jess the other, one on each side.
Hannah knelt down between her legs, then glanced up, her face calm, “Well it
looks like this baby doesn’t feel like waiting for the professionals. I need
someone to grab me another towel and some twine, and something sharp, a knife
or scissors, quickly please.”

For
an instant the two elves hesitated, then Jess was in motion, running to get
what Hannah needed.

“What
going on? Is he okay?” Allie gasped out, still caught in the strange feeling of
pressure and need.

“Everything’s
fine honey,” Hannah said, still calm, her hands cool against Allie’s thighs.
“The baby’s crowning. A couple more good pushes and he’ll be saying hello to
everyone.”

Allie
could feel tears tracking down her cheeks, but she wasn't upset it was just that the whole situation was surreal.
She squeezed Bleidd’s hand hard and he leaned forward kissing her forehead and
whispering reassurances. Jess hurried back, joining Hannah with the things
she’d asked for. Hannah was focused entirely on her work and Allie sent up a
silent prayer of gratitude for her roommate’s presence and skill. A moment
later Hannah was turning to Jess who was kneeling next to her, “Okay, I need you to help me, he’ll be out with
the next push and I need you to hold him, carefully, he’ll be slippery. Just do
what I show you. I have to tie off the cord and then cut it, okay?”

Jess
looked at her wide eyed but nodded. Allie closed her eyes, the sensation of the
baby’s body sliding free of hers making her gasp and leaving her feeling
momentarily hollow. Then Bleidd was whispering in her ear again telling her how
beautiful the baby was and it pulled her back to herself. She forced her eyes
open, unsurprised to see both Jess and Bleidd crying. Neither of them had ever
seen a birth before and the experience had clearly touched them deeply. Then
Hannah, who was grinning fiercely was laying the baby, bundled in towel, onto
her chest. She started to panic, afraid because he wasn’t crying, only to look
down and find her son’s unfocused eyes blinking up at her. He made soft cooing
noises, his lips pursing, one fist free of the towel opening and closing as he
tried to sort out what to do with his fingers.

“Are
you going to breastfeed or bottle feed?” Hannah asked, busy doing something
between Allie’s legs. Allie was a bit oblivious at that point, but she knew
there was still the placenta to be dealt with and she trusted Hannah.

“I’m
going to try nursing,” she said, captivated by the baby’s gaze. His eyes were a
cloudy blue green and he had a halo of dark blond hair, already drying and
starting to fluff up off his head.

“You
should put him to the breast soon then,” Hannah said.

“Is
Allie alright?” Bleidd said, clearing his throat as he spoke, his emotions for
once obvious to everyone.

“As
far as I can tell,” Hannah said. “No sign of excessive bleeding. She looks good,
but of course she’ll need to be checked.”

“And
the baby?” Allie asked.

“Baby looks great. I’d guess around six pounds
which is a good size for 36 weeks. He’s breathing fine, color's perfect, very
alert. For someone that couldn’t get here fast enough he seems ready to take
on the world.”

“Have
you chosen a name for him?” Jess asked, his eyes shining, his delight swirling
around Allie. Next to her Bleidd’s eyes reflected the same feeling even as he
reached out a tentative hand to caress the baby’s cheek.

“Kionan*,”
Allie said, softly, as Hannah finished up dealing with the afterbirth. The name
resonated through the air as she spoke it, and it felt right, down to her
bones. She watched both elves repeating the name, their faces momentarily
solemn before the joy broke through again.

There
was the distinctive sound of an Elven Guard car pulling up out front and for a
moment they all looked at each other, pulled away from the spell the baby cast
over them. Then Allie gave the group a lopsided grin, “I think Brynneth can let
himself in.”

Some
of the residual tension went out of the air and Hannah laughed, sitting back on
the floor. Allie found a laugh bubbling up as well, and her eyes went back to
her son, even as around her Jess and Bleidd started talking over each other about
the details they would have to handle, the preparations left undone in the
nursery, buying diapers, clothes, all the things they’d thought they still had
a month to prepare. Behind her the door opened and Brynneth hurried in then
stopped short at the unexpected sight of Allie on the floor with the newborn, only to have Hannah and Jess start
talking simultaneously trying to fill him in. Bleidd next to her began stroking
the baby’s soft hair, then her hair, and muttering to himself about stubbornness
and impatience being inherited traits.

“Welcome
to the world Kionan,” Allie whispered down at her son who was still looking up
at her as if he knew exactly what he’d gotten into.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

I know it's been awhile since I did a book review and this actually isn't one that I wanted to do, but one that I have finally accepted that I needed to do. So today we are going to take a look at John Matthews 2005 book 'The Secret Lives of Elves & Faeries'. I will preface this review with two things: I have no personal issues with Matthews work in general and have often used his Druid Source Book and Seers Source Book as references; and I am going to focus this review on the issues I have with this work being marketed as nonfiction and why I believe it is actually fiction. I do not dispute that people may, and indeed probably do, find inspiration and value in this book but I think it is vitally important to understand it in the context of fiction rather than as historic truth, such as that may be.

Once again we see a book marketed primarily to a pagan audience that takes the track of being newly revealed material found in a heretofore undiscovered historic text, in this case the alleged personal journal of Rev. Robert Kirk author of the 17th century work 'The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies'. There should be some immediate red flags with this, even for people unfamiliar with other authors like Douglas Monroe and Steven Akins who have tried this same line to sell their books. First of all such a personal journal if it existed would rightly belong to a museum, university or library - indeed the existing manuscripts for 'The Secret Commonwealth' can be found today in the University of Edinburgh Library and National Library of Scotland. Secondly, as was touched on in point one by my mention of two locations for his real books, despite modern views of the idea of journaling Kirk's actual book was written in a series of tiny journals not one single large book (Manwaring, 2017). That aside however it should be noted that had a new and previously unknown journal belonging to reverend Kirk been found it would have made headlines and been the subject of significant academic study. In contrast this book was apparently only seen by Matthews, never seen again afterwards, and never mentioned or written about by anyone else in the last 12 years.

During the period when Matthews claims this private journal was written and Kirk was off adventuring with fairies and exploring the subterranean world Kirk was actually confined to a sick bed for the most part and was dictating 'The Secret Commonwealth' to his cousin Robert Campbell (Manwaring, 2017). This means that Kirk, while able to get out and take short walks near his home would have been physically incapable of the lengthy explorations depicted in Matthews book, which are clearly established as physical and not spiritual journeys and occured right up to the point of Kirk's death or alleged disappearance*. This also calls into question the premise of Matthews book, that The Secret Commonwealth was excerpted from Kirk's personal journal material aka The Secret Lives, since we know that The Secret Commonwealth as we have it is at least partially from dictated material and was otherwise pieced together from material found in several different journals, rather than from a single manuscript.

An equally significant point that must be made is that Matthews book 'The Secret Lives of Elves & Faeries' printed in 2005 contains paragraphs worth of material previously printed in his 2004 book 'The Sidhe'. It must be kept in mind that The Sidhe is a book of material Matthews says was channeled to him in Ireland in 2003/2004 from the aos sidhe after he visited a sacred site, and Secret Lives is, by Matthews assertion in the book itself, Reverend Kirk's own writing from 1691/1692. This is not an insignificant amount of material or a few sentences here and there but nearly full pages of text, paragraph after paragraph, repeated word for word from one book to the other. I'm including photographs of the two books side by side with some of the relevant doubled text underlined, because it is too much to write out in full here, however to give a small sample:
The Sidhe, page 22: "We are an ancient people. We were here long before your kind walked on this earth. We remember everything and have seen everything that took place here for many thousands of your years. We do not measure time as you do, so that for us time passes slowly. We do not speak of our origins to anyone not of our race; but it is certain that we emerged from the earth as you yourselves did, though much sooner in the history of the world."
The Secret Lives of Elves & Faeries: "We are an ancient people." Kee told me. "We were here long before your kind walked on this earth. We remember everything and have seen everything that took place here for many thousands of your years. We do not measure time as you do, so that for us time passes slowly. We do not speak of our origins to anyone not of our race; but it is certain that we emerged from the earth as you yourselves did, though much sooner in the history of the world."

On the left is text from Secret Lives, on the right text from the Sidhe

For anyone interested the doubled text that I have personally noted can be found in these places: The Sidhe (TS) page 22-23, 3 paragraphs duplicated in Secret Lives (SL) on pages 32 - 33. TS page 23 1 paragraph duplicated in SL page 34. TS page 52, 3 paragraphs doubled in SL on page 61. I realize that some people may immediately respond to this by arguing that perhaps Matthews and Kirk were told the same things. I would personally have some arguments against that idea, but taking it as is for the moment even if we assumed it was true it would not result in this amount of duplicated text. Reverend Kirk writing in the 1690's was not writing in modern English as Matthews is, and as anyone familiar with Kirk's Secret Commonwealth may realize the language Kirk wrote in is not always easily read by modern English speakers. It is early modern English mixed with a dialect called Doric, or Scots, and looks like this: "Ther Women are said to Spine very fine, to Dy, to Tossue, and Embroyder: but whither it is as manuall Operation of substantiall refined Stuffs, with apt and solid Instruments, or only curious Cob-webs, impalpable Rainbows, and a fantastic Imitation of the Actions of more terrestricall Mortalls, since it transcended all" (Kirk & Lang, 1893). Even if we assume that the message the two men received was the same the way they each recorded it, more than three hundred years apart, would have been radically different.

Relating to that last point, the language issue. Secret Lives of Elves & Faeries is labeled clearly as Reverend Kirk's personal journal, and opens with a story by Matthews about how he found this journal and came to publish it. And yet the book in several places misuses words and terms from Gaidhlig and Doric that Kirk would have been fluently familiar with**. Even if we account for Matthews supposedly translating the text and updating the language it would not excuse these errors. In modern Gaidhlig the fairy folk are called sithe and in Secret Commonwealth Kirk refers to them as sith. In Secret Lives Matthews has Kirk calling them by the Irish term 'sidhe'. At one point in Secret Lives Matthews has Kirk telling a story in which Kirk's fairy friend Kee incorrectly uses the Doric word foyson as a verb when it is a noun. In another place the Unseelie use the Gaidhlig term 'sluagh' as a nickname of sorts for Kirk, even though sluagh is a collective noun that means 'assembly, folk, people'; while Matthews offers the intext explanation, allegedly from Kirk, that says sluagh is a term for dead humans who won't pass on, this is a fabrication. The Unseelie calling Kirk sluagh is like them nicknaming him 'crowd'. All of these are also red flags that the person writing the text wasn't familiar with or fluent in these languages, and make it impossible for it to be the writing of a man who spoke both languages.

In The Secret Commonwealth Robert Kirk never mentions there being two courts. This is because we don't see any references to the Unseelie Court prior to the 19th century. Before that the fairies were referred to only by the term Seelie Court, which was used as a euphemism more than a descriptor of an actual court. In contrast Matthews book is very much based on the idea of there being two courts, and of one court being benevolent and the other malicious. Even this ignores the folklore that warns of the dangers presented by the Seelie Court, but that aside it is at best a glaring anachronism to see the Unseelie Court mentioned in a book allegedly written hundreds of years before that concept was known to exist.

The final thing I may note is simply a matter of history. Kirk's Secret Commonwealth was a book written from the perspective of a folklorist recording native beliefs and carefully framed in a strongly Christian worldview. Matthews Secret Lives in contrast paints a picture of a man who was deeply personally involved with the fairy folk and was avidly writing down his personal experiences with the idea of sharing what he was writing with family and perhaps even a wider audience. During Kirk's lifetime in the area of Scotland he lived in people - men and women - were being persecuted and executed for practicing witchcraft on the basis of associating with fairies. Had Kirk actually written such a text and had it been discovered, minister or not, he would have faced trial and execution as did others like Andro Man and Betsy Dunlop, a fact that Kirk would have known. Such a journal would have been a death sentence, and while it suits our romantic modern notions to imagine such a thing the living Kirk would never have been foolish enough to write about his desire to share his experiences and writings with his family. People died for such things.

Ultimately people may find The Secret Lives of Elves & Faeries to be fulfilling and even inspiring. They may enjoy the vision Matthews paints of Fairy, his weaving together of some of Kirk's material from TheSecret Commonwealth and well known folklore like the story of the Stolen Bride or Borrowed Midwife with his own ideas and material. But any reader must understand this book in its context as fiction, which it does not admit to being. To fall into the trap of seeing this as what it isn't, as the actual writing of Reverend Kirk, is highly problematic and does a disservice I think to Kirk's actual writing and to the older folklore.

For myself when I'm in the mood for fiction centered on rev. Kirk I'll stick to Kevan Manwaring's book 'The Knowing' which is both honest about its nature and an excellent novel full of genuine fairylore. For a great scholarly look at Kirk's book I highly recommend Brian Walsh's book 'The Secret Commonwealth and the Fairy Belief Complex'.

*I'm actually in the camp that does believe that Kirk was taken by the Sithe as his body was found dead near the fairy howe (hollow). This is, of course, disputed in different sources and there is a great deal of folklore around Robert Kirk's death or possible disappearance.
**Kirk had translated the Bible and psalms into Gaidhlig.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

One of the most feared weapons of the fairies was the fairy stroke or poc sí, sometimes also called the fairy blast. There are several modern Irish expressions associated with this term including 'poc aosán' which is a term for a sudden illness, 'poc mearaidh' meaning a touch of madness, and 'buaileadh poc air' meaning to be elfstruck or bewitched (O Donaill, 1977). In Old Irish this might be called poc aosáin [fairy stroke] or áesán [fairy sickness]. Associated with the Slua Sí [fairy host] and the sí gaoithe [fairy wind] the fairy stroke was a sudden and otherwise inexplicable illness marked by a change in behavior and health. MacKillop suggests that this term is where we get the term stroke from for cerebral hemorrhages or aneurysms (MacKillop, 1996).

The fairy stroke could afflict both humans and animals but was differentiated from the similar elfshot in its symptoms and method of application. Unlike elfshot which used an arrowhead, sometimes invisible, to injury a person, fairy stroke was caused by a blow from the fairies themselves, or in rare cases being struck by a blunt object they threw. Fairy stroke might manifest as a sudden seizure or else a loss of mental acuity, which may be temporary or permanent (MacKillop, 1996). Getting the fairy stroke, like many things associated with fairies could be a double edged blade as it cost a person their health and mind but was also believed to convey a special esoteric knowledge (Wedin, 1998). There was also some crossover with changeling folklore as in some cases those who had received the fairy stroke were said to have actually been taken by the fairies while either a glamoured object or decrepit fairy was left behind instead (MacKillop, 1996). This is also true of those afflicted by elfshot indicating that both could be used either to torment people or as a means of taking those humans who the fairies desired.

Those who were struck by the blast might simply be at the wrong place at the wrong time, may have transgressed a fairy rule, or may have failed to adequately protect themselves. One anecdote from Newfoundland tells of a woman struck by the fairy blast because she passed through a crossroads without carrying a bit of protective bread in her pocket while another man received the blast for trying to cut down a tree the fairies didn't want cut (Reiti, 1991). In other examples people were approached by fairies who either offered them items or wanted them to do things and when the people refused the Fey folk threw items at them; wherever the item struck the person was afflicted with pain, sometimes resulting in lifelong debility and other times in madness and eventual death (Reiti, 1991).

Lady Wilde includes this charm for curing the fairy stroke in her book:
"There is a very ancient and potent charm which may be tried with great effect in case of a suspected fairy-stroke.Place three rows of salt on a table in three lines, three equal measures to each row. The person performing the spell then encloses the rows of salt with his arm, leaning his head down over them, while he repeats the Lord's Prayer three times over each row--that is, nine times in all. Then he takes the hand of the one who has been fairy-struck, and says over it, "By the power of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let this disease depart, and the spell of the evil spirits be broken! I adjure, I command you to leave this man [naming him]. In the name of God I pray; in the name of Christ I adjure; in the name of the Spirit of God I command and compel you to go back and leave this man free! Amen! Amen! Amen!" (Wilde, 1888).

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

There are two things that are trendy right now, although I wouldn't say either is exactly new: fairy doors and fairy houses. The principle behind each is simple and how serious or kitschy it is depends entirely on the person making it. A fairy door is a small door, usually at least several inches high, that can be plain or decorative, and which is designed to be placed against a surface to mimic the presence of a real door. A fairy house* is a small house, again simple or decorated, usually a foot or so high, that is intended to represent the home of a small fairy.

100 year old Japanese Maple in the sun

Fairy Doors - As far as I've been able to find with my ametuer investigating the modern phenomena of fairy doors seems to trace to Ann Arbor Michigan and the early 90's although they didn't start appearing in random public places until 2005. Originally the idea of illustrator Jonathon Wright the fairy doors began as artwork, although it should be noted that Wright moved on to writing about and hosting a website dedicated to 'urban fairies' and calls himself a fairyologist (NPR, 2006). One can now purchase them from a variety of specialty companies as well as mass market catalogs and they also feature in the work of different artists. Some fairy doors open up to tiny rooms, rather like doll house rooms, and the implication is that these are where fairies live. Others are simply doors placed against flat surfaces, meant to replicate the above idea. We even see them now painted onto things, to give the impression of a doorway where none actually is.

So on its face the idea of fairy doors seems fairly tame. It was originally aimed at children, created by Wright to delight and encourage belief in his wife's preschool students (NPR, 2006). I will be honest though, I have never been a fan of fairy doors particularly the indoor ones. Many people use them as a sort of blanket invitation to Otherworldly beings and while I do understand that they are approaching it with the belief that fairies are little winged sprites that are full of glitter and love that doesn't actually change the fact that an open door is an open door. When people are inviting fairies in, whether they have a set idea of what a fairy is or not, they are still putting out a blanket invitation to any fairy being who may want to come through that doorway. I tend to be very hesitant about the idea of any sort of open doorway like that, and having such a thing around children given the folklore of children being taken by the Fey just isn't something I would do. If a person really wanted to have a fairy door I would at the least ward it and keep it from actually being used as a passageway for anything to travel through. For myself my children's rooms have iron and broom in them not open doorways.

Under specific circumstances such a doorway could be useful, if a person was in a situation where they needed to open a passage for a spirit or fairy. I would be very cautious about doing this however unless I was very sure of exactly what was coming through. It isn't easy to filter such an opening.

Fairy Houses - Fairy houses have a complex history and while they seem to be rooted in the late Victorian period, with its shift to viewing fairies as garden spirits, they draw on the older folklore concepts of giving the fairies of your home and land a place and offerings. Having a fairy house indoors represents offering a space to your house fairies, while having outdoor fairy houses, theoretically is a type of offering to the spirits, the fairies, of that place. These are strongly reminiscent of the Roman household shrines to the lares familiaris, shrines which housed objects devoted to household spirits and where offerings could be placed (Connor, 1994).

Like Fairy doors, Fairy houses have taken off as a cultural idea recently and can even be found as public art displays and in museums. They are so popular that books have been written about them and one can easily find instructions for making different kinds of fairy houses online, as well as a wide range of images of them. Fairy houses are limited only by a person's imagination, and while they are certainly often viewed as nothing more than decorative items they can also have practical uses. A fairy house can serve as a point of connection to your house fairies and yard fairies and also as a place to leave offerings, just as the shrine to the lares did for the Romans.

While I am extremely cautious of fairy doors I am quite pro fairy houses. A fairy house, while admittedly often kitschy and twee, is a way to offer a permanent place to the spirits that are already present in your home and yard. Obviously they don't need such a thing but it's a symbolic gesture to them, a way to say that you appreciate their presence and efforts.

Doors and Houses - The key difference between the two, and the reason that I like the one and not the other really comes down to the intention behind them. A doorway by its nature will always be an entrance to a place and it is dangerous from my perspective to have something like that open to the Otherworld and with a sort of carte blanche invitation attached. After all just because a person is assuming that all fairies are pleasant little winged sprites who bring luck and happiness doesn't actually make it so. To have such a door and a welcome mat in front of it means that one can't be certain of what may come through that door. In contrast a fairy house is aimed at a more specific type of fairy from the off, either in the house for a house fairy (or house spirit more generally) or in the yard intended to offer a home for the fairies in your garden. Fairy houses are also by their nature designed to be specific to the fairies that are already in place, rather than open portals to anything wandering by. In one case you are inviting things in; in the other you are offering a place to what is already there.

Popculture will always shape and affect our beliefs and practices, sometimes more than we realize. For many people fairy doors have become a ubiquitous concept, yet as we have seen they are a recent addition to our culture, brought in initially to delight small children. Fairy houses were a feature of late Victorian era gardens yet they reflect older ideas relating to shrines for spirits in the household. I believe one should be approached with caution and the other can be useful if we look beyond their bright colors and small features and give serious thought to the metaphysical implications they carry with them.

*there's a range for what may be considered a 'fairy house' but what I'm mentioning here are the sort that can be bought or built for inside the home or permanent placement in the yard. When I was a child back in the 80's I used to build these instinctively, if you will, but out of wild materials in the woods. Little acorn cups and tiny bark plates, tables of stone and wood, beds of twigs and pine needles, walls of stone and branches and leaves - you get the idea.

About Me

find me on twitter at https://twitter.com/MorganDaimler
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My name is Morgan Daimler. I have been a witch since 1991, following a path based on the Fairy Faith blended with neopagan witchcraft. I love studying other paths and other ways of doing things and I enjoy discussing religion, philosophy and spirituality with people from diverse path. I try to stay active in the pagan community and am always interested in hearing about how other people are doing things.
I have had my poetry and prose published in different places including eight anthologies, Circle magazine, as well as Witches and Pagans magazine. I am the author of the book By Land, Sea, and Sky, the children's book a Child's Eye View of the Fairy Faith which is published through Spero Publishing, and through Moon Books: Where the Hawthorn Grows, Fairy Witchcraft, Pagan Portals: the Morrigan, Pagan Portals: Irish Paganism, Pagan Portals: Brigid, Pagan Portals Gods and Goddesses of Ireland. I also have a self published urban fantasy/paranormal romance series, Between the Worlds.